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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · fan · band · last · wound · patient · bulb · march

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — music
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. suit — clothes
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a ring
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com